Automatic means for regulating brake-shoes.



Nd. 693,806. Patented Feb. l8, I902. W. H. SAUYAGE,

AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR REGULATING BRAKE SHOES. I

A 1App1ication filed Dec. 5, 1900.) (No Model.)

UNTTEE STnTEs PATENT EEioE.

\VILLIAM ll. SAUVAGE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-IIALF 'lO CHRESTUS A. TRIPP, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR REGULATING BRAKE SHOES.

DEECIFTUAETYON forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,806, dated February 18, 1902.

Application filed December 5, 1900. Serial No. 38,848. (110 model.)

To all, whom it may concern:

Beit known that LWILLIAM I1. SAUVAGE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Means for Regulating Brake-Shoes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to means for automatically maintaining the brake-shoes at a uniform predetermined distance from the carwheels. It is well known to trainmen that considerable time (from thirty minutes to one and one-half hours) is each day consumed in adjusting the brake mechanism to bring about the aforesaid result. By reason of the wear on the brake-shoes and other parts of the mechanism the slack or the distance between the shoes and the wheels is constantlychanging. Hence the necessity for frequent adjustment. The necessity for maintaining the brake-shoes at the proper distance from the car-wheels is evident, since any increase in this distance will result in loss of time and detract from efficiency in making an application of the brakes.

The invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates my improvement shown in connection with a set of ordinary brake appliances. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing the brake-levers in horizontal section.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the brakebeams; 6, the shoes; 7, the live truck-lever; 8, the dead truck-lever5 9, the top rod; 10, the bottom rod, and 12 the car-wheels.

The brake-levers 7 and 8 are connected by a rod 13, attached to one lever and arranged to telescope in a tube or hollow bar 14, attached to the other lever. As shown in the ldrawings, the bolt 15, which connects the lever 8 with the brake-beam, passes through a slot 14, formed in the flattened extremity of the bar 14. The rod 13 is provided with 5 5 an opening in one extremity, through which passes the bolt 16, which connects the lever 7 with the adjacent brake-beam. The opposite extremity of the rod 13 enters a longitudinal opening formed in the bar 14, in which ter the bar and take up the slack the rod will retain its position in the bar when the brakes are released. The length of the slot 14 determines the normal distance of the shoes from the wheels when the brakes are released.

All the other slack is taken up by the telescopic connection between the brake-beams, composed of the bar 14, the rod 13, and the clamping device, heretofore described.

To the upper extremity of the lever 8 is attached one extremity of a rod 20, whose opposite extremity 20 is provided with ratchetteeth adapted to engage a detent or dog 19, mounted on a relatively stationary part of the car.

It will now be understood that in applying the brakes through the instrumentality of an ordinary air-brake system, as the Westinghouse, the rod 9 will be moved toward the left or in the direction indicated by the arrow inFig. 1, and both brake-beams will be moved toward the wheels of the car by virtue of the cooperation of the bottom rod 10. lVhen the brakes are released, the bolt 15 engages the outer extremity of the slot 14 or the extremity of said slot farther to the left,

referring to the drawings. As the brakebeains move toward the wheels the bar 14 will move toward the left or in the direction indicated by the arrow until the extremity of the slot 14 farther to the right engages the bolt 15. It the brake-shoes are the proper distance from the wheels, as determined by By use 6 the length of the slot 14, the shoes will be in contact with the wheels and the rod 13 and the bar 14 will act as an integral part. If, however, there is too much slack, or, what is the same thing, if there is still a space between the brake-shoes and the wheels after the bolt 15 engages the right-hand extremity of the slot 14, the braking force will act to thrust the rod 13 telescopically into the bar 14 until' the superfluous slack is taken up and the brake-shoes are brought into contact with the wheels. By virtue of the clamping connection between the rod 13 and the bar 14 these parts will be maintained in the adjusted position. Then as the brakes are released the rod 9 will be moved in the opposite direction a corresponding distance; but since the slack is taken up the fulcrum-point of the lever 7 cannot travel back to its original position, the lower arms of the levers 7 and S will be thrust toward the left and the upper arm of the lever 8 toward the right, and the dog 19 will hold the ratchet-rod in the adjusted position,

thus compensating for the changed relation of the parts, while the rod 13 is maintained in the position heretofore stated, or, in other words, to the position in the bar 14 to which it has been thrust in taking up the slack of the brake-shoes.

From the foregoing explanation it will be understood that to adjust the brake-shoes when my improvements are in use it is only necessary to apply and release the brakes, the adjustment being entirely automatic.

It must be understood that I do not limit the invention to the details of the construction herein shown, as I am aware that many other forms or modifications may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination with brake mechanism,ofa connection between the brake-beams, comprising two frictionally-held. telescoping parts, said connection being arranged to take up the superfluous slack as the braking force is applied, and at the same time hold the parts in the adjusted position after the braking force ceases to act.

2. The combination with brake mechanism,of means for automatically retaining the brake-shoes at a predetermined distance from the car-wheels, said means comprising a twopart frictionally-held connection between the brake-beams, the two parts being in axial alinement and normally acting as an integral device, but arranged to move to take up and hold the slack when necessary.

3. The combination with brake mechanism, of means for automatically taking up the superfluous slack as the braking force is applied, comprising a connection between the brake-beams consisting of two telescoping frictionally-held parts, and a ratchet-rod connected with the fulcrum of the dead trucklever and allowing it to move as the brakes are released, to compensate for the limited movement of the fulcrum-point of the live truck-lever, and a dog engaging the ratchetrod for holding the dead truck-lever in the adjusted position.

4E. The combination with brake mechanism, of aconnection between the brake-beams comprising'two frictionally-held telescoping parts, one ofthe said parts being slotted, and a pin passed through the said slot for fastening the part to the brake-beam.

5. The combination with brake mechanism, of a two-part, telescopic connection between the brake-beams, for taking up the superfluous slack, a frictional connection between the two telescopic parts, the arrangement being such that the two parts normally act as an integral device but are allowed to move to take up and hold the slack when necessary, one of the said parts being slotted, and a fastening device passing through said slot to permit the brake-shoes to move a predetermined distance from the wheels when the braking force is released.

6. The combination with brake mechanism, of a bar connected with one brake-beam, and tired connected with the other brakebeam, the bar being hollow a portion of its length to receive the rod and take up the slack as the braking force is applied, the rod and the bar being in axial alinement, and a frictioual connection between the two parts whereby they normally act as an integral device but are allowed to move to take up and hold the slack when necessary.

7. The combination with brake mechanism, of a bar connected with one brake-beam, and a rod connected with the other brakebeam, the bar being hollow a portion of its length to receive the rod and take up the slack as the braking force is applied, and a clamping device applied to the hollow, open extremity of the bar which is slotted, to regulate the friction between the parts whereby they are maintained in the adjusted position after taking up the slack.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.

WVitnesses:

DORA 0. Stuck, MARY (J. LAMB.

ICC 

